PICATINNY ARSENAL, NJ – Picatinny Arsenal officials celebrated Red Ribbon Week Oct. 21-25 with several drug awareness activities and events for employees and families, including one that installation officials have never done before, an evening family movie at a nearby cinema. .

“Red Ribbon Week, an initiative that advocates against drug and alcohol use disorders, has always emphasized the importance of finding healthy and alternative ways to deal with life’s challenges,” said Amy Gopel, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program Manager and the employee assistance program coordinator at Picatinny Arsenal. .

“While Red Ribbon Week is an annual campaign, our goal is to make it something much more meaningful,” Gopel said. “We’ve had picnics, dressed in red, participated in our annual Trunk or Treat, and hosted more than 50 vendors at our Health and Wellness Fair, but perhaps the most exciting moment was our Family Movie Night “Goonies”.

The theme of this year’s Red Ribbon Week campaign was “Life is a Movie”.

“It encourages us to spend quality, drug- and alcohol-free time together, sharing memories and making new ones,” Gopel said. “The Goonies, a beloved ’80s adventure film about friendship and courage, is the perfect way to do just that!”

The movie Goonies was shown free to Picatinny employees and family members during an evening showing at the nearby AMC movie theater at Rockaway Townsquare Mall on October 24.

“Nearly 100 members of our Picatinny community and their families came together, some rewatching it, some seeing it for the first time, but all sharing in the joy of a nostalgic classic,” she said. “Sitting back, we were lucky to hear the laughter and giggles of families enjoying each other’s company – moments that were only possible through our collective efforts over the years.”

Earlier this year, Gopel was recognized as Picatinny’s first female recipient of the Stalwart Award, which was approved by the Secretary of the Army in 2003 to recognize individuals who have demonstrated the highest standards of performance and significantly. contributed to the success and responsibilities of the command.

In his role, Gopel oversees a division focused on suicide prevention, employee assistance, preparedness and resilience, drug testing, leadership development, inclusion and workplace cohesion.

The facility’s annual Red Ribbon campaign is one facet of the program that Gopel, along with her colleague Kristina William, tirelessly supports. Gopel’s innovative new ideas and approaches are inspired by one of the world’s most famous civil rights activists and poets, the late Maya Angelou.

“As Maya Angelou so beautifully said, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'” Our desire is for our office to continue to be a safe place where community members feel comfortable and connected. Thanks to everyone who joined, participated and helped build our community. It may be a small effort, but as we know, even a small community can make a big difference, one step at a time.”

The Red Ribbon Campaign began in 1985 when Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a Navy veteran and police officer turned Drug Enforcement Administration agent, was killed by drug traffickers in Guadalajara, Mexico.

In 1990, the Department of Defense officially began celebrating Red Ribbon Week to raise public awareness and mobilize communities to combat tobacco, alcohol, and drug use among military personnel, civilians, and their families.

Employees who believe they have alcohol or substance use problems should contact Gopel at 973-724-4357 or for a referral. All screenings are confidential.